Deadlift Benefits – There are a lot of them

byJosh HanagarneonJanuary 20, 2011

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My favorite lift is the deadlift. There are so many deadlift benefits that I’m actually making a goal that this will be a reasonable-length post, which means a list, I think. I have learned a lot about myself from this simple movement of picking weight up off the ground.

One of my favorite weightlifting quotes is from Mark Rippetoe. “Get your deadlift up to 500 pounds and you’ll have your own opinions.” I agree 100%. If you have taken your pulls up to 500 pounds (my current max is 540), you have done something well.

But if you’re a deadlifter, you already know all that, so let me just start listing what I think are the best reasons for a man or woman to deadlift:

It is useful

It is challenging

Nothing makes me feel stronger

Low reps can be productive

High rep pulls are the best musclebuilder I know

Lots of people are scared of them

You’ll probably be the only one in your gym doing any real lifting

they make your back strong

Strong backs are big backs

Big backs are pretty awesome

You don’t need a lot of equipment

You can use just about any tool you want – I’ve done a ton of pulling with two 48 kilo kettlebells

They make you hungry and you’ll want to eat big when you’re done – this is a big plus if you’re usually a small eater

They make me feel confident – there is something truly satisfying about lifting really heavy weight.